At lunchtime, several of my friends and I were going towards tescos express (a convenience store) a few yards from college to buy lunch. We were approached by a builder at the school gates, who told us that there was 'free food and drink' at the "local" convenience store, which is opposite tescos.

You see, a few months ago, tescos got built. Because students (like us) are extremely short on money, we naturally go to tescos to buy food cheaply with our wee pocket money / part-time salary. THEREFORE this small 'local' convenience store was losing customers.

So we were just getting fed some Walkers crisps, Cadbury chocolates, a new gum variety and a new Energy drink samples. Then we were approached by a local TV correspondent, who started to interview us...

Interviewer: So do you know WHY you're getting fed today? (Okay, maybe not put as bluntly as that...)

(We shrug whilst munching on chocolate flakes)

IN: Well, the food is courtesy of this shop over here, ****(local convenience store name)***. Tell us, where do you normally shop for food?

Us: Over there at tescos (Ok, maybe we didn't out this so bluntly either, especially since the owner of this local convenience store was right there next to us and frowning)

IN: Why do you choose to go to tescos instead of this shop?

Us: Obviously, because everything is cheaper and we're not the ones to have alot of money to spare. We are students.

IN: So the current economic climate is limiting the number of jobs out there on the market. Corporate giants like tescos is rapidly taking over small firms as people rush to save as much money as possible. Do you think it's ethical that you're allowing this to happen? After all, how YOU spend your money is also partly responsible for the number of jobs available out there to which you would eventually be applying for when it comes to employment after education? Ok, I wasn't listening as intently as to remember every word they said and things we said, but half way through it seemed to be as if we were getting lectured and told off. Also, I think they chose the wrong place to do this campaign and also the WRONG people to interview. Everyone knows students don't have money and we try to save money as much as possible. The place around here doesn't attract normal adults, because there are no car parking spaces, so majority of the customers would be students. It's this shop's misfortune that it's at this location. Students prioritise 'low cost', and resorting to tescos is what we do!! Why do WE have to be blamed for their misfortune??

To be honest, economic crisis or not, we would all have gone to tescos instead anyway. Isn't this how business and economy works out though?

The most ironic story out of this is that a long time before tescos was built and this local conv. shop was built, there was (and still is, bless them) an even smaller newsagents next to college where everyone used to go for EVERYTHING. But when that conv.store was built, they drew the majority of the customers out of the newsagents. They've been doing the same as what tescos are doing, it's just their turn. Big fish eats little fish and so the food chain continues.

It's a harsh world out there in the business and marketing circle. One reason why I'm not interested in jobs that 'count' money; it's just too risky. Medicine is the way to go (though I hasten to add, I have other reasons for going into medicine, duh..!)

Well at least we did get fed today. I just need to somehow burn off those extra calories.

Revision is somewhat going as planned. I'm still yet to start looking at physics synoptics papers and I've been skipping essay classes. I haven't been to a single one yet. At least we've looked at some essay writing in class, I'm beginning to think that that's really enough. After all, you could never predict what essay title would be set in the exam.